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Friday, 11 November 2016

Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day. Today we honour those who have sacrificed to protect others.I come from a proud military heritage, but today, I don't just honour soldiers. I also honour police officers and ordinary citizens who have made the ultimate sacrifice to stand up against violence and protect those who needed it.There is a lot of hate being spewed right now in a number of different directions. It's horrifying how divisive the last two years have been. How many newstories about people being attacked because they are different, because they had something that someone else wanted or simply because they were seen as easy targets?I don't believe it is possible to shout out such things. Instead, they can be extinguished by acts of kindness. The act of making sure someone has food to eat and a safe place to sleep. The act of smiling and talking with someone instead of being afraid. There are dozens of things we can choose to do every day to break down barriers.The horrible things in this world can also be stopped by acts of bravery. And that's what I'm focusing on today. On the boys who stopped another boy from raping an unconscious woman. On the women who stood up to a bigoted ranter to protect his victim. On the men and women who have stood between us and danger and told us: Don't worry, I got this.Today is the day we can all remember that we can be braver than we imagine and sometimes all courage needs is a tiny spark.Thank you to every man and woman who has donned a uniform and put his or her life on the line. Thank you for your example. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your sacrifice.